


Callouses

by MJays



Series: Gigolas Camp AU! [2]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Camp AU, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:33:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25512130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MJays/pseuds/MJays
Summary: Legolas finds a good excuse to hold Gimli's hands.
Relationships: Gimli (Son of Glóin) & Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Legolas Greenleaf
Series: Gigolas Camp AU! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1846567
Comments: 3
Kudos: 70





	Callouses

"Hey, hand me that hammer will you," Gimli asked, not looking up from his work. He was busy fixing a chair from the dining room in the small workshop that he usually held wood and iron working classes in.

Legolas usually didn't spend time in there, especially not when others were there as he didn't like the stuffing heat from the ovens or the stupid way someone had decided there wasn't any need for any windows. But he needed to grind and re string some of the camp's (far too low quality) bows, and it was easier to do with all the tools around him rather than dragging everything outside. And he didn't have time to do it later.

At least, that was what he'd explained to Gimli when the man had asked what Legolas was doing there, even though Gimli hadn't seemed annoyed in the slightest at the prospect. Maybe he'd even seemed cheerful about it. 

So they spent nearly two hours together, all the while idly chatting. Legolas spent more time then was perhaps necessary on each bow, and Gimli's movements in his own project were suspiciously slow as well. 

But finally, they both rounded up, moving away their tools at the same time. Legolas washed his hands and rubbed them in a reparativ hand cream from his bag, as they were dry and cracked from the polish he'd re applied on some of the bows. 

"Want some?" He asked Gimli, reaching out the tube. He'd stared at Gimli's hands out of the corner of his eye, slightly fascinated by the expert way he worked and treated the materials around him, everything from wood to metal. It wasn't hard to believe Gimli worked in his father's small family forge back in town for the remainder of the year. He was obviously very good at what he was doing, even if he was simply fixing some broken everyday objects they used. And so he'd noticed the small callouses all over Gimli's fingers and palms, dry and perhaps even painful. 

"Why not," Gimli answered, taking the tube and taking some in his hands. He quickly rubbed the palms against each other with unnecessary hard friction before clapping them twice and moving to get out of the forge. 

Legolas shook his head slightly and tried not to sound fond as he said, "You're callouses are going to keep cracking if you treat them like that all day. Besides, you should rub so you get some circulation in there."

Not even asking for permission, Legolas took up one of Gimli's hands and poured some more of the cream into it. The dwarf had only taken a fraction of the amount needed. Gimli just stared at him as the blonde started to carefully massage it down into the skin, taking each callous by itself so the moisture could fill the many cracks. 

Legolas couldn't help but marvel slightly at how their fingers looked next to each others. Gimli's were so much shorter and stubbier, slightly hairy and dark. The elf moved his hand slightly to compare the length of their index fingers, nearly laughing out loud at the difference. He continued with the chore before Gimli could ask about what he was looking at. 

"The other," he ordered, giving Gimli his hand back with a small reminder not to put it directly on his clothes just yet. 

Gimli obeyed without a word, but looking up slightly from were his hair had fallen over his eyes, Legolas noticed he was smiling. The red head wiped it of the instant Legolas straightened his back up again, looking away. 

"Your hands are very soft," Gimli said, and Legolas laughed a little. 

"Because I use the cream," he answered, taking it back from the table and dropping it into his bag again. 

"Pretty delicate, I'd say," Gimli continued, his voice teasing. "Fragile almost."

"I need to keep them movable for the archery," Legolas shot back with a crooked smile. "It's much more fine tuned then beating trees to death with an ax." 

He expected Gimli to answer how axes were far superior, mighty and heartier weapons to train with. He'd heard that speech before, and he had the answer at the ready. But Gimli said nothing of it, instead saying, "Aye, suppose you do. And it seems that thing works well enough." Nodding towards the hand cream, Gimli took hold of Legolas wrist to inspect his hands, just like the elf had done to him minutes before. When he did, his fingers went lightly over Legolas' palm, who instantly told himself that the tingling sensation came from ticklishness and nothing else. 

"Let's just go to dinner already, we're so late because of your slow work," Legolas said back when his wrist was dropped, hitting Gimli's shoulder playfully with his elbow before hoisting up his bag. He waited at the door for Gimli to grab his things as well, and then the duo slowly made it back to the main house, chattering and jabbing all the way. 

And if they made a small habit Legolas carefully rubbing the cream into Gimli's hands at the end of each day, no one really needed to know. 


End file.
